I was reading through my normal blogs yesterday when something caught my eye…”52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks”. So I headed over to Amy Johnson Crow’s site at http://www.nostorytoosmall.com/posts/challenge-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/ to read more about her challenge for 2014. One blog post for a specific ancestor each week… I should be able to swing once a week even with the upcoming move.

Since my Pop was always my favorite, it seems fitting that he should be my number 1 post. My grandfather, George Rudolph Nahodil, was an amazing man. He was a family man. He was a hard working man. He was a caring man. He was a funny man.

Rudy, as George was known by his entire life, had a great sense of humor. I imagine it must have started as a young boy as he listed his occupation as an “Actor” on his World War II enlistment record in 1942 when he was just 19 years of age (or so he claimed); Rudy’s actual occupation was as a laborer in the anthracite coal mines of central Pennsylvania.

George Rudolph Nahodil – a sampling of the ears

The Nahodil family was blessed with big, beautiful (uh, did I really just say that?) ears. The ears of the earlier generations were so distinctive that you could pick a Nahodil our in a crowd without even knowing him. While my actor grandfather was overseas in the military, he must have spent his downtime perfecting his signature move known as the ear wiggle. He loved to perform this move for us kids, especially when other adults were around but not looking…we broke out in giggle fits every time. We all wanted to learn this skill and spent a great deal of time practicing but nobody has ever done it as well as Rudy; I’ll turn 40 next week and still catch myself “practicing”.

Rudy was the consummate joker and all people and places were fair game. Dragging his leg behind him as a zombie might was not uncommon while out shopping with the kids and other adults. This was hysterical when I was a child but I now I cannot help but think of how mortified his wife must have been…still makes me chuckle.

Catherine I. Nahodil was born in Shamokin, PA in 1915. The name of her parents have not been confirmed at this time but it is believed that she was the daughter of either Frederick or Julia Nahodil.

Catherine was raised by her grandparents, Rudolf and Rosamond Nahodil, and was listed as Rosamond’s adopted daughter in 1930. Rudolf passed away in 1929 and when Rosamond died in 1939, Catherine was still living at home.

The 1940 U. S. Federal Census shows that Rudolf and Rosamond’s daughter Julia (Nahodil) Snyder has now moved into the home that Rosamond and Catherine shared and Catherine is now listed as Julia’s daughter.

Catherine married William M. Johnson in 1940, after the census take recorded. Catherine and William had lived a block apart on Franklin Street for at least the previous five years.

The plastic marker show in the image above is all that marks the location of Catherine’s cremains.

Like this:

The March 19 blogging prompt to celebrate National Women’s History Month as brought to us by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist is — Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

Catherine Nahodil first appeared on my tree about six years ago while I was recording the details of the 1920 census for 2nd great grandparents; Catherine was listed as the “Grandchild” of Rudolph and Rose Nahodil. I didn’t give this much thought as the youngest child of Rudolph and Rose was still at home along with two of their adult children, I figured that Catherine was probably one of theirs.

Time came to enter the 1930 census information for Rose Nahodil, Rudolph had passed away the year prior, and I couldn’t help but notice that Catherine was now listed as the “Adopted Daughter”. For five years I wondered who’s child she was but nothing popped up and I never really spent an extensive amount of time looking for her but I always kept an eye out.

Last year I received the death certificate for the first wife of Frederick Nahodil who was a son of Rudolph and Rose. His wife, Iona died in 1915 from cardiac insufficiency caused by nephritis and pregnancy. Oh my…could my grandfather have had an older sister that he never knew about?

March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family?

Throughout the summer of 1935, Rosemond Nahodil talked of attending school for the first time. Rosemond was anxious to get her books and begin the journey of learning how to read, write and spell. She spoke of it constantly and when the opening day drew near she was as thrilled as any little girl could be.

On Saturday, August 31, 1935, 6 year old Rosemond completed her preparations for attending school. Her mother had her clothing cleaned and ironed for within 48 hours the youngster would begin school.

The following day Rosemond complained of not feeling well. She was stricken acutely ill and her anxious parents called for a physician, who ordered her placed in bed and immediately began treatments. But Rosemond failed to rally. Her condition became critical the following Friday and at 11:00 that night she was rushed to Shamokin hospital. Five hours later she died.

Rosemond would never have the chance to begin the adventure she looked forward to for so long. Though her older brother George, my grandfather, did not speak of this often, I know that her death affected him deeply. When I was her age, my grandfather bought me books and we spent the summer playing school; it now seems to me that this may have been influenced by Rosemond’s abrupt death.